(Pottawattamie Co.) Pottawattamie County has been awarded $19.9 million in federal funding to improve roadway and pedestrian safety.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the award October 30th through its Safe Streets and Roads for All program. It is the largest grant awarded in Iowa during the 2026 funding cycle and the fifth-largest nationwide.
The funding will support a nearly $25 million project focused primarily on improving an 11.6-mile stretch of Old Lincoln Highway between Sumac Road near Honey Creek and Coit Road near Council Bluffs, including the community of Crescent.
Between 2019 and 2023, the corridor experienced 121 crashes, including four fatalities and eight crashes resulting in serious injuries. Planned improvements include smoothing curves, adding paved shoulders and rumble strips, upgrading pavement markings and signage, and addressing roadside hazards.
The project will also include pedestrian safety studies and potential improvements in Avoca, Crescent, Neola, Oakland, Treynor, Underwood and Walnut. Proposed improvements could include flashing warning beacons at pedestrian crossings.
County Engineer Andy Wicks says the funding will allow the county to address longstanding safety concerns while working with communities to make local streets safer.
The federal grant will cover 80 percent of the project’s $24.875 million cost, with the county contributing the remaining $4.975 million.
Project development and engineering will take place over the next several years, with construction potentially beginning in 2029 and continuing through 2031.
Read the full announcement HERE.
